Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is a civil rights and feminist leader, a former professor of law at Georgetown University, and represents the District of Columbia in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before serving in Congress, President Jimmy Carter appointed Norton to serve as the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and two New York City mayors appointed her as the first woman to chair the New York City Human Rights Commission. Her work as a civil rights activist began as a student with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Mississippi and on the staff of the March on Washington. Her work for D.C. statehood today continues her lifelong struggle for civil rights.
Norton currently serves as the Chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, as well as a top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Her work in economic development has transformed entire neighborhoods in the District and she has spent her career as a lawyer representing African Americans and women who broke barriers.